Electronic drawing toy

• US 20060166592A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Ohio Art Company
• Original Assignee: The Ohio Art Company
• Inventors: Dooley, Christopher P., Taylor, Loren, Nielsen, Paul S.
• Application Number:
  US11/340,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/146
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0643 erasable
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0661 Making a drawing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/301 using an additional display connected to the game console, e.g. on the controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 11/00 Teaching hand-writing, shorthand, drawing, or painting

Abstract

An electronic drawing toy is disclosed for drawing and gaming applications used with a video monitor, wherein a complexity of the toy is minimized to facilitate use by young children.

Claims

1. An electronic drawing toy comprising:

a main body adapted to be connected to a video monitor;

a processor disposed in said main body for generating video signals, audio signals, and application data to produce an image on the monitor;

a first input device disposed on said main body for controlling movement of a cursor on the video monitor; and

a second input device disposed on said main body and positionable in a first position and a second position.

2. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising means disposed in said main body for causing the image on the monitor to be erased upon shaking of the toy by a user.

3. The toy according to claim 1, further comprising means disposed in said main body for causing the image on the monitor to be erased upon inverting and shaking of the toy by a user.

4. The toy according to claim 3, wherein said means for causing the image on the monitor to be erased upon shaking of the toy by the user is a switch.

5. The toy according to claim 4, wherein the switch is a ball switch.

6. The toy of claim 1, wherein said first input device is a four-way operater positioned over a switch pad.

7. The toy of claim 1, wherein said second input device is a two-position switch pad.

8. The toy in claim 1, wherein said processor generates the video signal, the video signal causing a menu area and an active window to be displayed on the monitor.

9. The toy in claim 7, wherein the menu area includes a first plurality of icons generally aligned on the video display for accessing respective imaging functions to be carried out in an active window.

10. The toy in claim 9, wherein the imaging functions comprise at least one of an Objects and Backgrounds mode, a Connect the Dots mode, a Trace a Picture mode, and a Free Draw mode.

11. The toy in claim 10, wherein the cursor is a crosshair for the at least one of the Connect the Dots, the Trace a Picture, and the Free Draw modes and the cursor becomes a game object as selected by the user from the Objects and Backgrounds submenu area for the Objects and Backgrounds mode.

12. The toy in claim 11, wherein the game object is one of a snow shovel, a lawn mower, an airplane, a sand tool, a ice scraper, a piece of chalk, or a leaf blower.

13. The toy in claim 12, wherein said first input device is utilized to maneuver the cursor over one of a plurality of icons and said second input device is manipulated to select one of the plurality of icons.

14. The toy in claim 13, wherein when the cursor is positioned over one of the plurality of icons on the menu area, one of the plurality of icons is highlighted.

15. The toy in claim 14, wherein selection of one of the plurality of icons in the menu area generates a submenu area having a second plurality of icons.

16. The toy in claim 15, wherein said first input device is utilized to maneuver the cursor over a desired icon from the second plurality of icons and the second input device is manipulated to select the desired icon.

17. The toy in claim 1, wherein said first input device and said second input device are positioned for manipulation by a corresponding thumb of the user.

18. An electronic drawing toy comprising:

a main body adapted to be connected to a video monitor;

a processor disposed in said main body for generating video signals, audio signals, and application data to produce an image on the monitor;

a first input device disposed on said main body for controlling movement of a cursor on the video monitor;

a second input device disposed on said main body and positionable in a first position and a second position; and

a switch disposed in said main body for causing the image on the monitor to be erased upon inverting and shaking of the toy by a user.

19. The toy of claim 18, wherein said first input device is a four-way operater positioned over a switch pad and said second input device is a two-position switch pad.

20. An electronic toy comprising:

a main body adapted to be connected to a video monitor;

a processor disposed in said main body for generating video signals, audio signals, and application data to produce an image on the monitor;

a first input device disposed on said main body for controlling movement of a cursor on the video monitor, wherein said first input device comprising a four-way operator positioned over a switch pad;

a second input device disposed on said main body and positionable in a first position and a second position, wherein said second input device comprising a two-position switch pad; and

a switch disposed in said main body for causing the image on the monitor to be erased upon shaking of the toy by a user.